Discourse on Yoga Vasishtha
Day 30, August 15
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Ganesaya Namaha
Sri Saraswatyai Namaha
Sripada Vallabha
Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namaha
Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Sadgurubhyo Namaha
Thrishnaa Bhangam is the topic we are studying. Every one desires to have joy and comfort in his life. For fame, success, for children’s sake, for the family, for the world, we say we are doing things or we are striving. But every action of ours is done for our own happiness. When we do things for children, and then they rebel, the child becomes our enemy. There is no contentment. There is no repose or peace of mind. People go into debt, they commit sins, and they lose their reputation. All because of greed/avarice/thrishnaa.
You eat your fill. That is fine. But after eating, you still desire a dessert. After dessert you are supposed to close the door to the mouth. End of eating for that session. But in your heart you still yearn for more. There is hankering for some different taste, some different experience or some of the delicacy. There is no satisfaction. Such behavior prevents spiritual progress. Even in worldly life there is no progress because of it. Mother Goddess is describes as Nitya triptaa – ever contented. We pray to Her to grant us that bliss of contentment.
Yesterday we learned how harmful thrishnaa is in our lives. It blinds our vision. It drowns us in sorrow. How can I describe its treachery adequately? Rama laments.
Greed is like a spoiled Veena with a cracked gourd and snapped strings. It is good for nothing. It cannot be repaired. A good Veena should be obtained in the form of instruction from Sadguru.
A poisonous creeper that emerges out of a dried up well has many attractive flowers. An ignorant person touches the flowers and suffers great harm. This greed is like that creeper that appears attractive but leads to calamity.
A flower bunch that is wilted, when we hold it, will make us feel weak and wilted. Greed, when we harbor it, will make us debilitated.
An aged, incompetent, and weak dancer has the desire to dance, but is unable to dance. She will not allow other competent dancers to get on the stage. Greed, similarly, prevents us from utilizing our life properly. When all the dancers are doing well, and one messes up the steps, it will disturb all the other dancers and makes them fall. Greed obstructs our good performance in life. It dominates the stage of our life and spoils our performance in life.
Only a well-trained musician will be allowed to perform on stage. Greed is like an incompetent performer who occupies the entire stage blocking access to any other qualified performer.
If wish were not there, we would not be motivated to do anything, people say. So far it is good, if it remains as a wish to motivate good deeds. Then, at the next stage, there is desire. But one step further when you go, it results in greed. The craving for more, even after your needs are fulfilled, is greed. If you place on a balance the happiness you wish to enjoy here and in heaven on one side, and the happiness you enjoy with contentment on the other side, definitely contentment will weigh more. It is far superior.
Nobody likes to continually struggle to satisfy desires. A minimum amount of work is required to make a living. A child is born. The next moment imagination begins as to the future of the child as a famous doctor or some other professional and greed begins to take charge of lives.
Intention is good for performing noble actions. Not even 1/16th of comforts do heavenly pleasures offer, as compared to the bliss offered by contentment. Even if Indra offers heavenly enjoyments, a contented man will decline such an offer.
When suddenly the clouds gather, the female peacock opens its feathers and dances happily in the cool weather. The moment the sunrays fall on it, it stops its dance. The rays of the Sun are like the guidance from Sadguru. Greed disappears once Guru’s advice is followed.
The peacock, like avarice, lays its eggs in a very remote, hard to find place in the middle of the forest, called the mind. Its progeny will then begin to proliferate without limit. Like that, in a very elusive and hard to detect manner this avarice envelops us and takes over our entire life.
Sometimes the mother root of a tree travels for miles. It cannot be cut, to destroy the poisonous tree. But Sadguru when one surrendered to Him, can easily kill the plant while it is still a sapling. He will not allow the tree to grow so strong.
This greed is like a bird that perches on a tree and then keeps moving to other trees. Its movements are unpredictable. Those who are enlightened are not affected my illusion. Illusion still remains. The wise, by making an earnest effort, release themselves from its clutches.
A river dries up in the summer. But during the rainy season it will be in spate and destroys everything that gets in its way.
Greed never ends. It has no end.
Paramatma is eternal. So is this illusory world. If I am free from illusion that is what is important for me. If illusion still exists, it will not matter to me. Each should strive for his or her own liberation. You may pray for others. But you cannot earn liberation for others. Even God cannot do that. Each has to earn it for himself.
A fickle-minded female monkey is now compared to thrishnaa/greed. Because in Sanskrit language the word thrishnaa is female, for poetic consistency, the similes selected are also female, such as a female peacock, a female horse, and a female monkey.
All objects and creatures are taken from the world to give us so many different examples so that we get a clear picture as to the nature of greed and avarice. Even when its physical needs are satisfied, still the monkey is ready and eager to receive more. Even when its stomach is full, it still reaches for another fruit. It never stays put. There is no consistent effort to reach a worthy goal. It suddenly jumps, without proper caution. Greed prompts man to do the same. If you try to feed a small monkey, a big monkey will suddenly appear and will chase away all other monkeys. It will avariciously keep everything that is offered for itself. It refuses to share with others. It hogs everything even if its jaws are bulging with the food that it stuffs inside its mouth. From one branch to another it keeps jumping. If a tree is dried up, it will find another tree.
God said, do karma now. That is ordained by Brahma. We have to perform our destined actions. The results are granted as per our karma. Our ignorance and our disobedience of divine ordinance are responsible for our troubles.
Always running around, like a bee that keeps flitting from one flower to another flower, flies around and comes back because of greed, it also never takes a respite. It never rests. Even after eating its fill, its tongue still craves for more food. Greed similarly keeps a vice grip on us.
Some snack is prepared. It is poured into 4 containers. The person wishes to eat out of all the four dishes even though it is the same substance. He searches for some better taste in another dish. There is never any satisfaction. It is not a need. It is a strange vice, wishing for more and more when there is no need. Such excessive eating leads to diseases. There is no area that is left out by greed. Greed extends to all experiences.
I am a prince, enjoying all comforts, and yet, greed is troubling me, laments Sri Rama. In the royal chambers I am relaxing. The royal chambers symbolize our inner equipment, our mind and heart. Why should greed occupy my mind? I have everything that anyone could ever desire.
Greed creates in the mind a dangerous and frightening darkness. As the sun rises, we still cannot see the sun due to heavy mist. Why? Like that, our discretion gets obscured due to greed.
If you merely get into a carriage that has not been tethered to the horse, how is it a vehicle for transportation? We will not get anywhere. This greed misleads us by extensively engaging in fantasy. The rainbow is compared to greed. It is very transient. Its presence is unreliable. You cannot grasp the shape or the colors. They are all illusory. Thrishnaa has the same attributes. It emerges out of delusion/illusion.
Once greed hits us, it is like a thunderbolt striking a tree. We get destroyed. During Yama Kala, the time of Navaratri, there is danger of diseases spreading fast. That is why we perform the rituals and prayers.
Like a prolonged night, greed fills our life with spiritual darkness.
Because many of our leaders and patriots gave up their thrishnaa/personal greed, we are today enjoying living in independent India. We must work for our country. We must sacrifice a little bit for serving our country. We must take care of our families and ourselves, and then take care of our country also. A country is not just the land, it is the people. May our treasure, our spirituality, which is unique to our country, may it thrive. Unfortunately, today we have to say that we had this treasure. We have lost it. We have become greedy and materialistic. We are going away from our spiritual roots. Especially the youth and the children of today need to follow spirituality. They have the opportunity to become worldly and selfish. That must be prevented. Our ancient values must be taught to them. The teachings of Swami Vivekananda should be remembered and followed. It will only happen with Guru’s grace and guidance. I pray to Lord Dattatreya to bless us all.
I am very happy that Malladi Brothers are here today. Swamiji is very fond of them. They have offered their melodious musical services to the ashram many times.
After the abhishekam to Lord Sri Datta Venkateswara, we will have the Flag Hoisting. We will be donating clothes and school supplies to some needy children. Today is Friday in the month of Sravana, a very auspicious day. Please chant Sri Lalita Sahasranama, at least once, if not many times. It is very beneficial.
Om Santissantissantihi – May peace prevail.
Sri Guru Datta